Who We Are &
Why We Exist
Who We Are
BCAGlobal has been a leader in the food systems space for over 35 years. Our programming integrates nutritional literacy, culinary skills and food as medicine to address food access and insecurity in marginalized communities. We transform the way communities think about food and health and help them create their own pathways to healthier lives and disease-free futures.
BCAGlobal HISTORY
The Black Culinarian Alliance was born in 1998 when co-founder Alex Askew and Jason Wallace met with fellow graduates of the Culinary Institute of America. It was there that they discussed the status of African Americans in the culinary and hospitality industries. A few years later, the First Black Culinarian Alumni Chapter at the Culinary Institute of America was formed. Since then, the organization has been tasked with analyzing and addressing the lack of education and exposure for African Americans in the industry. Focusing on education as a cornerstone of success, BCAGlobal (founded as the Black Culinarian Alliance) advocated for leadership in a demographic that has largely been sidelined from culinary, food service, and hospitality mid and upper management opportunities.
Letter from the BCAGlobal President
Fellow BCAGlobal members, supporters, and visitors:
Welcome to BCAGlobal. For over 30 years, your support has powered our work at the place where food meets social impact — and that intersection has never mattered more than it does right now. When we began, the idea that the culinary, hospitality, and foodservice industries could be engines of opportunity and community wellbeing wasn’t part of the national conversation. We decided not to wait for permission. Through action-based advocacy, we helped move food and social impact from the margins to the center of the discussion — the place where real, systemic change actually happens. And in the tenuous years since the COVID-19 pandemic, as the communities we serve absorbed the hardest of the economic shocks, the mission has only grown more urgent: sustainable careers, healthier food, and stronger communities, built through food.
That mission drives everything we do. We put real tools — training, mentorship, networking, and knowledge — into the hands of aspiring culinary and foodservice professionals so they can launch, sustain, and be fulfilled in the careers they’re chasing. At the same time, through our Mindful Eating for the Beloved Community program, we confront health disparities and unequal access to quality, nutritious food where it’s felt most acutely, guided by evidence and practical education. Across every program, we carry a spirit of mindful consciousness — one that honors food culture, heritage, and health while treating the table as a bridge between people, opportunity, and lasting impact. Society and the foodservice industry both stand to gain from this approach. Now is the moment to move past familiar conversations and lean fully into action. When you support BCAGlobal, you help us build that bridge — connecting food to real, measurable social impact for the people and communities who need it most.
Sincerely,
Alex Askew
President
BCAGlobal Leadership & Governance
Accountability & Transparency
BCAGlobal is deeply committed to accountability in all aspects of our work. We prioritize transparency, responsible stewardship of resources, and clear measurement of outcomes to ensure our programs create meaningful and lasting impact. By continuously evaluating our strategies and listening to the communities we serve, we hold ourselves to the highest standards of integrity and effectiveness as we work toward equitable and sustainable food systems.
BCAGlobal Partners, Sponsors & Allies
Sponsorship of BCAGlobal directly supports over 35 years of leadership in advancing equitable food systems. Our programming integrates nutritional and culinary literacy, and farm innovation to address food access and food insecurity in marginalized communities. Through this work, we transform the way communities understand food and health, empowering them to create their own pathways to healthier lives and disease-free futures.
Partnering with BCAGlobal offers sponsors a meaningful opportunity to engage with critical challenges within the global food sector. If our mission aligns with your organization’s values and priorities, we invite you to support BCAGlobal at a level that is meaningful to you.
Join us Now!
In transforming food systems and advancing health equity. For over 35 years, BCAGlobal has empowered communities through nutritional literacy, culinary medicine, and farm innovation, creating pathways to healthier and more resilient futures.
Whether you are an individual, corporation, or foundation, your support helps expand access to nutritious food, strengthen communities, and drive meaningful change. Partner with us, sponsor our programs, or get involved today and be part of building a more equitable food future for all.